On the open roads of Creta, Kirk Rockwell was riding in Ed's white 57 Chevy Nomad, riding in the backseat. He gazed out the window of the car, seeing the vibrant colors of New Folk City. Edward Elric, now dressed in white to allude to his liberation from alchemy, gripped the steering wheel with a serene expression.

"So, Kirk, your parents must be happy to see you." He said.

"I have no parents." Kirk replied. "They died years ago."

"When was that?" Ed asked.

"George and Cara Rockwell were doctors who worked for the Cretan military in the Milos conflict. They treated the Amestrians, the Cretans, and the Milotians." Ed thought his story sounded similar to his childhood friend.

"Reminds me of my wife, Winry's parents in Ishval." Ed recalled the Rockbells being friendly doctors to the Amestrians and the Ishvalans.

"Sadly, they were killed by a Cretan soldier named Kate Fairchild." Kirk explained. "Kate was court marshalled afterwards and later banished from Creta." Kirk was getting hungry.

"I am getting hungry." Kirk told Ed. "How about we stop somewhere to eat?" Ed and Kirk stopped at a diner that looked rather 50s-like. Inside, there was a checkerboard floor, red booths, silver and red barstools, and everyone was eating burgers and drinking milkshakes.

"Hello, welcome to Paul's Chocolate Shop!" The owner, Paul, a big tan skinned Aerugonian man with black hair and a shaved beard said with enthusiasm.

"Two, please." Kirk was stroking the fleece on his brown bomber jacket, as something didn't feel right.

He and Ed sat down at a booth, when Kirk saw an old non-alchemist sitting on the bar.

"HEY!" Paul yelled. "Sit in the non-alchemist section!" The man refused.

"I want to sit here!" The old man refused. Kirk went to defend him.

"Suppose he wants to sit where the alchemists sit? Kirk protested on the old man's behalf. My friend here is technically a non-alchemist."

"Then he sits in that dirty seat in the non-alchemist section!" Everyone gasped. Fellow non alchemists decided to take stands, including a female non alchemist with blonde hair and glasses, a male non alchemist with brown hair and wearing a gold varsity jacket and jeans, a man wearing a poet hat, black leather jacket and jeans, and a woman wearing a yellow button dress and a black wide brim hat.

"We ain't gonna take it anymore!" The yellow button dress lady raised her black gloved hand high. "We're sitting where we wanna sit!" They sat in the alchemist section. Ed joined in, leading the charge. The gold varsity jacket man had food thrown at him.

"Have some coffee!" The blonde woman with glasses had coffee thrown at her, ruining her white dress. The awful brawl alerted the authorities. The cops came, wearing royal blue coats and white shirts as their uniforms. The cops pointed guns at the non-alchemist resistance.

"DISPERSE IMMEDIATELY!" The police lieutenant shouted. "Who is responsible for this hullabaloo?"

"Me, sir." Kirk was cuffed by the police.

"You're under arrest for disturbing the peace in this city." Kirk was taken away by the police.

At the station, a blonde woman in a blue dress was sitting at the chief's desk.

"Who the hell are you and what do you want with me?" Kirk asked. "Where is the chief?"

"I am her." The lady said, sipping her coffee. Chief Alice Miranda Armstrong."

"Armstrong?" Kirk gasped. "Like Olivier Mira Armstrong, the woman who was friends with the Fullmetal Alchemist who provided the Briggs Men to aid in the revolution against the Homunculi?"

"She is my mother, yes." Alice confirmed.

"If she's your mom, shouldn't you be helping me, since I am Ed's student?" Kirk begged for the chief's trust.

"All that's old shit, and it has absolutely NOTHING to do with the mess you're in right now." There was a knock at the door.

"Alice, there is someone to see you." The lieutenant said to Alice.

"Who said you could interrupt?" The man at the door was Roy Mustang's son, Noah Maes Mustang." He looked like Roy, except his eyes were blue and he wore an olive-green Unum Military uniform.

"I did." Noah entered.

"Well, Noah, it's an honor to see you here." Alice was glad to see Noah. Noah came to speak to Kirk.

"Who might you be?" Noah asked.

"Kirk Rockwell." Kirk introduced himself. "Edward Elric's student."

"Listen, I have an offer for you." Noah was going to make a deal. "We applaud your efforts to make change in this country, and that's why we are offering you the opportunity to become an AA, or Alchemist Agent, part of the Unum National Military."

"National Military?" Kirk gasped. "Alchemist Agent?"

"It's a good way to get you up the rankings in this nation, by service to our country." Noah explained.

"I can't carry that kind of weight, I'm just one man!" Kirk was in denial.

"Look, the only way you can change the system is by changing it from within. Are you in or not?" Noah persuaded Kirk to join.

"I am in." Kirk put his hand over his heart. "I will work to change the system for the better!"

"Very well." Noah agreed. "You will take the State Alchemist Exam starting soon. Get some rest and some training before you take the exam."

Kirk went back to Ed's place, where he was staying in Unum, a condo in Mortician Island, the main downtown area of New Folk.

"Welcome to the Star Maximum, the building where my condo is located!" The Star Maximum's placard featured a black star on it. Ed and Kirk went to Ed's condo. It had white walls, a black floor, white furniture with silver detailing, and a white, silver, and black bedroom.

"It's so minimalistic." Kirk commented.

"I just feel enlightened for my freedom from alchemy." Kirk explained. "You will get here one day." Kirk and Ed began training. They had a lot of work to do before the exam day.